Jan 21 2009
“The Polar Bear Waltz” by Outside magazine
I picked up The Polar Bear Waltz and Other Moments of Epic Silliness by the editors of Outside magazine because really, who could resist that cover photo? I thought it looked like a book I could get a kick out of, which would be a nice counterpart to some of the dark and depressing books that I read.
First, the idea behind the book:
The editors of Outside magazine put together a “Parting Shot” concept for their magazine, where each issue ended with a funny, mind-boggling, and/or breath-taking picture. Unlike most pictures in magazines where there are captions to explain what’s happening in the picture (or at least supply a funny line) these pictures are left to stand by themselves. The editors had this to say on the back flap of the book:
In many cases, the situations are so surreal or outrageous that they beg for more explanation. Yet at the same time, the viewer understands that captions would be a letdown, for the imagination supplies a better narrative.
I don’t know if I agree - there were more than a couple that I would have loved for some sort of explanation, but overall, I have to admit that it was fun to come up with my own ideas of what was happening in the picture.
Most of the photos were fantastic - I especially loved the one of the video camera sticking out of the mouth of a lion, taken in Kenya - but there were a couple of duds where I wondered what the editors were thinking. Who found that funny, and why?
The Polar Bear Waltz is short (less than 100 pages), with only 67 pictures, and no captions, so it ends up being a 10 minute look through, something to chuckle over, share with anybody sitting nearby, and then forget about by noon tomorrow. Don’t buy this one - if you really want a pick-me-up, check it out of the library and save yourself the money.
3.5 stars out of 5
Hava
